Irwin set for Juvenile Court building expansion

By this time next year, Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin hopes that an 11,000 square foot, $3 million expansion will almost be complete at the Carey E. Garrett Juvenile Court Building on Division Street.

Irwin said the expansion, funded by the Knox County Commission, will create a one-stop shopping type situation for anyone dealing with a juvenile court or child support situation.

Instead of going across town, they'll be able to go across the hall, the judge said.

"Most of our 31,000 cases a year begin in child support," he said.

Irwin said three Child Support Division magistrates hold their hearings in courtrooms on the third floor at the old Knox County Courthouse downtown. Juvenile Court is held at the Juvenile Court building on Division Street, he said.

Irwin said this will be a welcome relief to many who have child support cases because often they go between hearings at the Division Street facility and hearings at the old Knox County Courthouse.

Irwin said the old courthouse was not designed to hold the loads of people who crowd the third floor when there are three full child support dockets together with the other unrelated adult court proceedings that take place there.

"On days when there are three large child support dockets, I've been up there when you could feel the walls quiver. It's an uncomfortable feeling," he said.

The expansion will consolidate those Child Support Division offices and courtrooms in the Juvenile Court building and make for a more convenient experience, he said.

"I don't think it will take longer than a year to build," he said. "Hopefully we'll break ground at the first of the year or in December."

Security is another concern the judge has and is glad the expansion, which will be built out from the front of the building, is going to happen, Irwin said.

"Juvenile Court situations can be very dangerous. People become very emotional when you talk about children. Sometimes, people who have children together don't like each other or their families don't like each other," he said. "It can be very explosive."

The judge said there would also be ample, free parking at the Juvenile Court building on Division Street.

"I think this is going to be a good thing for the people of Knox County. We want to serve the public as conveniently and efficiently as we can," he said. "It will be such a convenience, it just makes sense to do this."

Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc., is designing the expansion and Rentenbach Contractors are building it, the judge said.